


Presumed Dead

by msrogersstark



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, ironman3spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-05
Updated: 2013-05-05
Packaged: 2017-12-10 12:37:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/786123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msrogersstark/pseuds/msrogersstark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt from Tumblr:<br/>*SPOILERS INCLUDED* Read authors note for summary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Presumed Dead

**Author's Note:**

> Summary: Steve reads the newspaper article stating that Tony is dead.

“Presumed Dead”  
Steve Rogers couldn’t read online book, newspapers, anything. He blamed it on the fact that he’d been born in the 40’s and had been dead for practically the entire evolution of online reading. Maybe that was the reason that this news article, printed on recycled paper, gave him such a shock. Maybe that’s the reason he felt a sharp pain in his chest. More realistically it was the headline.  
“TONY STARK PRESUMED DEAD”  
The paper left his hand and made it’s way to the floor as he stood up slowly. Steve’s legs shook and on his way to the elevator his knees gave out plunging him to the floor. 

That’s where Natasha found him an hour later. It didn’t take her long to deduce the cause for the super soldier’s weakness. Calmly, she helped him to the sofa switching on the news. 

They’d all heard the rumors of terrorist attacks but with only a few of them on earth or in capable fighting conditions, Fury had advised them to stay out of it.  
She flicked through the channels each one showing a different broadcast of the same thing. The Malibu Mansion being destroyed by the Mandarin and his followers. Steve bit his lip, words recently said to Tony echoing through his mind. 

They’d seen each other frequently since New York. There were silent agreements on how to approach certain topics with Tony. No one mentioned the wormhole or the brief period in which Tony lay on the ground, all the life in his suit zapped out.  
Some nights, Tony would stumble up from his workshop, tears staining his shirt, hand reaching shakily for either another cup of coffee or a bottle of scotch. On a few of those nights, Steve would chat aimlessly with Tony. More than half of those nights, Tony would mention the off limit topics. Steve did his best to guide Tony away from them but it seemed that it helped Tony. As much as the team, especially Steve and Bruce hated to see Tony coffee drunk or normal drunk, he seemed more open. Steve liked no… loved vulnerable, open, caring Tony. 

The night before Tony had left for Malibu, Steve had seen Tony stumble up from the workshop. Wandering over to the kitchen, Steve dressed in only sweats and an undershirt, cornered Tony.  
“Don’t go back down there Tony. When was the last time you slept?”  
Steve heard Tony mutter some number and try to get past him.  
Steve let Tony by but before he could descend the stairs Steve said “I know about the nightmares.”  
“How?” Tony stopped mid stride, his tone accusing  
“I have them too. I know your pain”  
Tony turned around to look at Steve “Tell me about them”  
Steve bit his lip and but said, “Come upstairs and I’ll tell you everything”  
Tony was at Steve’s side in a flash. They walked towards the living room, side by side, silently.  
Sitting down Steve said “Alright”  
“Nightmares” Tony pressed.

It wasn’t hard to explain his most frequent nightmares.  
“They’re normally about plane crashes, water, ice etc.”  
Tony nodded along “So just your past?”  
“Most of the time” Steve answered truthfully.  
“And the other times?”  
“Well Tony…”  
Tony motioned for him to continue, impatiently.  
“The most recent ones have been… loosing you” Steve swallowed hard waiting for the laugh he knew would flood from Tony’s pretty mouth.  
Tony’s eyes widened in shock.  
“It’s stupid I know” Steve said, blushing hard.  
“No” Tony said looking down “It’s reassuring”  
“Reassuring?”  
“Yes. To know that if I died, someone would actually grieve. It’s reassuring.”  
Tony nodded.  
“I want to know about yours Tony” Steve said calmly.  
“They’re all versions of the same thing. Water, Afghanistan, fire, people dying by my hand. It’s all the same. I wake up screaming and alone and it takes me a long time to realize it was a dream.”  
Steve hadn’t realized how close he’d moved to Tony but now he was holding Tony tight. An idea sprang into his head.  
“Come to bed with me. It’ll help to have someone else there”  
Tony debated in his head briefly but he nodded slowly “I’ll try anything to get rid of them”

In about 15 minutes, Tony was curled against Steve, sleeping softly. Neither man had a nightmare that evening. 

The next morning when they’d woken up, Tony kissed Steve’s mouth softly and then he was gone. 

Steve was jolted from his memories by a flashing from the TV. The terrorist’s logo popped up over the normal news broadcast. It showed scenes from Tony’s house, people dying and the world generally being terrorized. Steve felt horrible. These scenes were all from Tony’s nightmares except with a horrible twist… They’d been the end of Tony. Now Tony wouldn’t ever spend another night with him, helping with their nightmares and problems. He couldn’t get another chance to speak with coffee frenzied Tony, drunk Tony, sassy Tony or Ego filled Tony.  
While Natasha was watching the news, Steve snuck out. He needed to wreck some punching bags.

 

Tony Stark stumbled along the deserted Texas highway and managed to reach the payphone before his arms gave out and he was forced to set down the suit. He felt in his pocket for loose change and came across one quarter. That was enough for one call. If the person didn’t answer… Tony couldn’t think like that. Instead he let the money drop into the coin slot and picked up the receiver. 

Steve’s phone rang from the bench across the gym. He was tempted to leave it; anyone who needed him was here. Except Tony. But Tony was dead. The headline had said so. Steve jogged towards the phone and grabbed it on the last ring.  
“Hello?”  
“Steve?”  
“Tony?”  
There was a deep breath from the person on the other end.  
“It’s me Steve”  
“My god Tony… I thought you were dead”  
“So did I” Tony chuckled dryly.  
“Where are you?” Steve pressed  
“I’m at a Payphone, trying to call home.”  
“Very funny Tony. I understand that reference. But Where. Are. You?!”  
“Texas”  
“We can help you Tony…”  
“Today you can’t Steve”  
“But…”  
“I have to do this alone Steve… as much as I’d love you to be here…”  
“I can be there by tomorrow morning”  
“No Steve. There’s no team in Mandarin”  
Steve chuckled softly  
“Thank you for calling Tony.”  
“ I couldn’t let your nightmares come true Steve”  
“I appreciate it my dear”  
“My dear?”  
“It slipped out”  
“It’s nice”  
“Really?”  
“Yes Steve. I can practically hear your blush”  
“Oops”  
“The phone’s gonna cut me off soon but I have to tell you something.”  
“Go ahead Tony”  
“That night we were together… I felt something. I’ve only felt it once before”  
“And that was?”  
“I think it was a sense of safety, home and maybe even a tiny bit of love.”  
“I think I felt that too” Steve smiled.  
“I love you Steve Rogers”  
“I love you Tony Stark”  
The phone clicked off and Steve dissolved into tears. 

 

Tony was screaming calling to Steve. Steve was stuck in his chair he couldn’t move only listen, eyes glued shut, as Tony was tortured in front of him. He could only hear 3 words “Open your eyes” “Open your eyes” “Open your eyes”. They repeated over and over again, agonizingly frequent. Soon it was accompanied with a slight shaking and Tony’s screams…

Steve jolted awake. He barely registered strong arms around him as his eyes caught the clock. It was 11:11pm, 4 days after Tony’s last phone call.  
“I wish Tony would come home” Steve wished aloud  
“Today’s your lucky day then” A voice sounded from behind him  
Steve spun as well as he could, due to the fact a pair of arms surrounded him. Tony’s arms Steve thought  
Tony’s face came into view and Steve thought he was dreaming. But when his hand found Tony’s beard and his hair and he knew it wasn’t a dream.  
“That’s right baby. I’m home”  
“Did you beat him?” Steve asked sleepily  
“Sure did. See? I told you”  
“I knew you could do it” Steve drifted off to sleep but not without adding, “After all, you are a hero”


End file.
